THE Department of Social Welfare and Development - Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) has assisted approximately 272,644 household beneficiaries under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in 2024, surpassing the previous year's numbers.
DSWD-Davao assistant regional director for operations Gemma D. Dela Cruz, during the ISpeak media forum on March 21, 2025, at NCC Victoria Plaza, said, “In 2024, nisaka gyud pod ang atoang mga na serve na pwede na sila mu graduate when in fact ni sobra gyud ta sa atoang target na gihatag from our central office (In 2024, the number of beneficiaries we served grew significantly, and many are now ready to graduate. In fact, we have exceeded the target set by our central office).”
Graduation from the program is determined through an assessment tool used by social workers. As of March 2024, around 12,796 households have officially exited the program. Among them, 10,041 households reached Level 3, while 4,748 exited due to natural attrition or other reasons.
Although these beneficiaries have graduated, DSWD-Davao ensures they continue receiving support by referring them to Local Government Units (LGUs), Non-Government Agencies (NGAs), private sectors, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to help prevent them from falling back into poverty.
To further support graduates, the agency is exploring job opportunities in different localities, following the Bagong Pilipinas Job Fair in Tagum City. However, no specific timeline has been set for this initiative.
The 4Ps program, launched in 2009 and institutionalized through Republic Act (RA) No. 11310 in 2019, is a national poverty reduction strategy that provides conditional cash transfers to low-income households, aiming to improve their quality of life through education, health, and financial support. RGP
